


In Case I Don't Live Forever

by ThatHCWriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Cute Teddy Lupin, Emotional, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Grandmothers, Harry Potter Next Generation, I Made Myself Cry, I'm Sorry, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Muggle Technology, POV Andromeda Black Tonks, Purebloods Are Clueless About Muggle Things, Some Humor, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: While cleaning out her attic years after the war, Andromeda discovers a strange muggle media device. She turns it on, and when it begins, Andromeda's world stops."Is this thing on? Teddy! It's your dad."Or, how an accidental discovery allows Teddy Lupin to hear a message from beyond the grave.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Remus Lupin & Teddy Lupin, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Teddy Lupin & Andromeda Black Tonks
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	In Case I Don't Live Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a video by the amazing remadora_black on TikTok! Check her out if you're over there. 
> 
> No real warnings for this, just make sure you have tissues handy. Enjoy!
> 
> Also, writing about a video camera from the perspective of a character who probably has no idea what a video camera is is weird, so sorry if any of this seems odd.

Admittedly, Andromeda was getting a bit old for this. She was hunched over a box tucked away in her attic, riffling through a near endless pile of useless trinkets that Ted had insisted on keeping when they'd moved there. 

_"Come on, Dromeda. I used to love these when I was a boy. Don't you think Nymphadora might like to have some culture from her dear old dad?" Ted used to say almost tauntingly, resting his head on his hands and batting his eyes up at her. She would always smile, giving him a peck on the forehead._

_"At the moment, she seems to occupy herself with a mirror and her mind. Haven't you seen how often she's changing her hair? Seems that entertains her more than anything else could at the moment." Ted laughed, tossing a plastic ball casually._

_"Will you humor me, love?" Andromeda smirked._

_"Well that's a low blow, now isn't it, repeating the same lines from the night you proposed to me?" Ted feigned offense, smiling and casually setting the box aside._

She stared at each object in the box carefully, searching her mind for Ted's explanation. He'd tell her all about each and every one of the muggle items that he kept, right down to his favorite memory tied to each of them. Andromeda found it endlessly fascinating, her satisfaction coming both from her new knowledge, and the feeling of subtle rebellion against her family that each new story stirred in her. 

She finally finished the first box, pushing it aside to reveal something sitting on top of the crate behind it. It was old, the silver on its sides was badly scratched and caked in a layer of dust thick enough to cover the black circle on one of its sides almost completely. When she moved it, a cloud of dust swirled up and around her, worsening with every brush of her finger over the black rectangle on the back of the device. 

Andromeda smiled fondly, pondering just how excited Ted would be to show her how the old thing worked. She was puzzled by it in that moment, searching for some sort of activation button. She remembered Ted telling her how to work a television, and how hard he laughed when she couldn't find the power button. He'd told her there was always some sort of little button on devices like that, and she'd looked for one every time he'd left a muggle device around the house. 

It took longer than Andromeda cared to admit to finally find the blasted thing, but when she pressed it down and the black rectangle lit up, Andromeda's heart stopped. 

She didn't know what she was expecting to see. 

But it certainly wasn't that. 

Her son in law stood in front of a black background, looking as frail and frightened as he had been the last time she'd seen him, his hand clutching his neck. "Remus?" she asked sharply, tapping on the screen. She stopped suddenly, drawing her hand back hesitantly and nodding. This was not a portrait. Remus was not going to respond. She pressed another button, this one displaying a small triangle, and listened to him speak with baited breath. 

"Is this thing on?" The man stepped forward and tapped on the surface lightly, "Right, Teddy! Hi, um, it's... it's your dad!" Andromeda pressed the triangle button again, her hands beginning to shake. Before she could think any more of it, she stood and turned, raising her voice. 

"Ted! Come up here will you?" Andromeda tried to keep her voice steady, she didn't want to worry the poor boy, but staring down at that picture made that feel damn near impossible. The next moment, Andromeda heard the familiar steady drumming of footsteps from below her, rapidly drawing nearer. 

"Everything okay, Gran?" A tuft of blue hair appeared above the trap door, Teddy's infectious smile following behind it slowly. Andromeda grinned at the eight year old, patting the floor next to her in an invitation. "What's going on?" The boy asked confusedly as he bounced toward his grandmother, smile still not fading. Andromeda rested a hand on his shoulder. 

"I found something I think you need to see, Teddy," she ran her hand over his shoulder absently, turning him to face the muggle device. Teddy's eyes lit up. 

"Woah, is this one of the muggle things that Grandpa used to like?" Andromeda smiled fondly, ruffling Teddy's hair. 

"It's not any old muggle thing. It's got a message for you on it." Teddy snatched the device, scanning it for some sort of written message. 

"Really? Where is it Gran? I can't find it!" Andromeda chuckled and gently took the device from the boy. She swallowed hard. 

"Let me show you." Andromeda pressed the triangle button, holding the device in front of Teddy so he could see it clearly. 

The second the recording started, Teddy's face fell. 

"Is this thing on? Right, Teddy! Hi... Um.. it's your dad!" Teddy leaned into his grandmother, eyes glue on the screen as his father spoke. There was a short pause, in which Remus fiddled with the view slightly, swearing under his breath, "Okay, un, Teddy," Remus sighed, "If you're seeing this... I didn't make it back." Andromeda glanced over to see tears beginning to form in her grandson's eyes, "I'm sorry, to you, and your mum. I love you both...very much." Teddy's head was now fully rested on Andromeda's shoulder, his breathing sharp and ragged. 

Her heart broke a little when she hear him whisper "I love you too." 

"Um..." Remus continued, pain all too evident in his voice and posture, "You were everything I didn't know I needed, but did. So... take care of her, please?" Andromeda buried her head in her grandson's hair, not missing the fact that it was now the same dusty brown as the man in the video's. "She's tough, but... Take care of your mum, please." Remus looked seconds from tears as he stepped away, swearing when the picture faded to black. 

With the room now silent, Andromeda could plainly hear her grandson's shaky breaths. She pulled him into her lap fully, a position that he was nearly too big for (the poor boy had his father's awkward frame) and rubbed his back lightly. 

"Thank you," he whispered into her shoulder, "for showing me that." She nodded softly. 

"Your father wanted you to hear that, you know." There was a long moment of silence before Teddy looked his grandmother dead in the eyes. 

"Can I ask you something, Gran?" 

"Of course, dear." 

"Why did he talk about mum like she was still here?" 

Oh. _Oh._ Biting back tears, she brushed the hair out of the boy's face, cupping his cheek. 

"He wanted your mum to stay with you that night, but Teddy, things got bad. They got bad quickly. And your mum, she was a lot like you. When she saw something that needed to be fixed, she couldn't stay quiet. She had to go help." Teddy nodded, but hung his head shortly after. "They would be so proud of you, Ted." He looked up at his grandmother, eyebrow raised. 

"Really?" Teddy's voice was so full of childish glee that it made her heart ache. Andromeda nodded resolutely, thinking back to all of the times his antics had reminded him of a young Nymphadora, and all of the full moons the boy had slept through unbothered. They wouldn't have asked for anything more, they'd never want anything more. 

"I'm sure of it." She leaned down and kissed the boy's hair softly. "Now then, why don't we grab some albums, you can hear a few more stories." 

"Actually Gran? Can I stay here?" the boy's hand was closed tightly around the muggle device's handle, "I just want to watch it. One more time." Andromeda smiled sadly, turning to head down the ladder. 

As she descended, she noticed something new about her grandson's appearance. 

Across his face, there were three thin, white scars, and an all too familiar mischievous smile.

**Author's Note:**

> So, sorry? Hope you had tissues? 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos mean a lot to me! Thanks for reading, be good people y'all!


End file.
